A New Era of Human Thinking
How is AI reshaping higher education?
Since the debut of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative artificial intelligence tools (GenAI) have been all the buzz at colleges and universities. Reactions have ranged from concerns over cheating to enthusiasm for technology that could aid learning. But what are educators actually experiencing? To get a clearer picture of GenAI’s current effects and future impact on teaching and learning, the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) partnered with Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center to query higher ed leaders on what they are seeing on their campuses. More than 330 university presidents, chancellors, provosts, rectors, academic affairs vice presidents, and academic deans responded to the survey, which was conducted between November 4 and December 7, 2024.
AAC&U’s C. Edward Watson and Elon University’s Lee Rainie detail the survey results in the report Leading through Disruption: Higher Education Executives Assess AI’s Impacts on Teaching and Learning. The hope is that the findings empower faculty and administrators as they help their campuses navigate technological innovations. Here are some of the highlights from the report.
Download a pdf of the full spring 2025 Research Corner.
Illustrations by Glenn Harvey